The performance of globe artichoke plants as affected by propagation methods and spraying with gibberellic acid

الملخص EN

Globe artichoke is considered as one of the most important vegetable crops in the countries bordering the Mediterranean basin including Egypt, but due to lateness of its flowering, lowering its yield capacity and exposure to extinction of the Egyptian cv.

'Balady'.

Two field experiments were carried out during the two successive seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.

The experiments were executed in a private farm located at Abou El-Matameer city, in Behiera Governorate, Egypt, under open field condition.

Three propagation methods (explants) were used, included stumps cuttings (crown pieces), offshoots, and a mixture between the both explants (stumps cuttings + offshoots) of the same aforementioned globe artichoke plants 'Balady' cv.

were joined tightly on planting.

Each explant was of the same constant weight, more or less, ca.

160 g /explant.

It was planted at 0.5 m apart and 1.0 m width of ridge.

So, the total number of plants/ feddan were approximately 8400 plants (2 plants/m²).

Also, four concentrations of dissolved GA₃ were used in the present study (0, 25, 50 and 75 mg/l) as a foliar spraying.

The spraying was applied twice; the first one was carried out after 65 days from planting (at the stage when the plants had approximately 12-15 leaves), the second application was 20 days after the first one (or when plants had approximately 20 leaves).

The untreated control plants were sprayed with tap water.

The layout experimental was split plots system in a Randomized Complete Blocks Design with three replications.

Plant propagation methods (explants) were arranged as the main plots, and the gibberellic acid concentrations were considered as the sub- plots.

The effects of both variables and their interactions were investigated on the vegetative growth-related characters, yield and its components, head quality, leaves and heads chemical composition.

The obtained results indicated, generally, that the interaction between any propagation method (explants) and GA₃ at its higher level (75 mg/l) recorded the highest average values; nevertheless, the offshoots + stumps cuttings upon interacted with GA₃ at 75 mg/l; resulted in the highest average values and might be considered as an optimal treatment for the production of high yield and good quality of globe artichoke plants under the environmental conditions of Behiera Governorate and other similar regions.